Waysides along Highway 138

 The first wayside was the Narrows Wayside and it had had a sweet and simple memorial...

 ... next to the fast moving waters of the Umpqua river...

 ... and the graceful wild flowers. Su head of the library here in Creswell, and my plant identification expert said this: "It's a bachelor's button, centaurea cyana, and it's a plant introduced here from Eurasia."

 

 I did venture down a bank to the river's shore...

 ... to see crystalline clear water flowing over the shallows.

 On the way back up the bank I stopped for more flowers...

 ...and more of that same type of  flower in other colors...

 ... including this beautiful white variety with lavender accents and

 ... nearby was a berry looking pod.

 Further up the road I stopped for a picture of a steep rock wall that is very typical of the area...

 ...and more of the white water spots...

 ...as well as the deeper sections of calmer water.

 I wonder why, not just my eye, my eye is so drawn to the angry white water sections with their roaring thunder than those still water sections. Perhaps it's that I'm drawn to the action/activity/power that gives the river life beyond three dimensions.

 In gardens these may be called weeds but to my eye they are beautiful delicate flowers...

 ... that form complex shapes like wound yellow wire ...

 ... or like birds on the branches of bare limbs.

Amazing and it leaks, 

"A 12-foot diameter redwood-stave flowline (pipeline) is part of the Toketee development of the North Umpqua Hydrolectric Project."

.

"Completed in December of 1949 (when I was 6 years old) , the Toketee development was the first component of the Project to be built. The Toketee facility begins at the earth-fill dam less than a mile upstream of Toketee Falls. The reservoir behind the dam is approximately 102 acres. Water enters an intake structure at the dam and then runs through the wood-stave flowline for 1,500 feet where it then transitions to concrete just before entering a tunnel through Deer Leap Rock. the water powers three generator turbines that have a capacity of 45 megawatts of electricity or enough energy for approximately 22,500 homes"

 Toketee falls is one of the most interesting falls I've seen and is a double fall waterfall. This is a picture of the falls on the information board at the trail head but we do plan to return and walk to the falls.

On the way home we took the road less traveled, a BLM road that goes up 3,500 feet then descends into Culp Creek just east of Cottage grove and while possible time wise about the same as Highway 138, was much shorter and provided this beautiful view.

No Scrabble for awhile

Quote of the Day ~

Can we ever forget 9/11 and can we afford to not learn from that tragic day

"If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the color of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are." ~ Sting from the song Fragile

SCCA Autocross in Coburg, Oregon

Sharyn and I got to the parking lot for the Autocross at 8/15/2011 / 2:24:56pm to find ...


... a few of the cars in the lot preparing for the next heat. There was this really cool red car...



... and an even more interesting go-cart.


I liked the red, white and blue AM 31 car...


... and this silver/gray muscle car...


... and then we saw Isaac coming to the lot with Nicole (sigh) we missed his race and he did very well winning his heat.


This was so cool...


... almost like being in the pits at the Indy 500 without the crowds...


... and getting up close to the racers and their cars.


Isaac and Nicole then joined us for a few moments...


... along with Chris and Jaxon who was proudly wearing his Red Sox hat he had personally chosen at the store.


Jaxon saw I was taking pictures and forcefully demanded I get a picture of Nicole.


After a brief visit Isaac went to work as a cone spotter for the next heat, that's him in grey on the far side of the track.


There is the little red race car I saw in the parking lot going through the paces on the track.


SCCA is a really great organization split into regions, we are in the Northern Pacific Region.

"Since 1944, SCCA has championed one mission: To bring motorsports to the masses of American men and women who are passionate about automobiles, speed and competition."

Drivers are professional, novice and everything in between.


There goes the beautiful AM 31...


... and one of my favorites that I am not sure if it was a pinto or what. When I was in High School I knew every make and model by year and Horsepower. Today I know only four cars: Honda Odyssey, Cute little cars, Muscle cars and Race cars, so don't ask and clarifications are welcomed.


Some of the cars are obviously regular street cars...


... like this T-Bird (okay so I did know one) that was rigged for road trips or taking the kids to school...


... some were pure muscle...


... and others obviously real race cars...


... some were tricky fast (note the roll bars) .


There was a little burning rubber and one 360 degree spin-out...


Isaac said this was a female driver in her VW Bug...


... I had a feeling this was a guy.


Some cars had riders going along and Nicole rode with Isaac - Everyone does wear helmets...


... whether they need them ...


... or not.


I did talk to this driver about his car - its a very old Lola


... and was probably my very special favorite.

Lola Cars International Ltd. is a racing car engineering company founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon, England. Lola Cars started by building small front-engined sports cars, and branched out into Formula Junior cars before diversifying into one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world.

This isn't a Lola but was a fast running small car ...


... competing against more powerful but not as agile big cars like this one ...


... and this (nice color) one .


Some of the cars cornered evenly ...


... and others leaned a bit almost getting air between the tires and pavement...


... and then came the go-cart and brother did it go. Perhaps because of the size it easily appeared to be the fastest in the field and especially quick not to mention agile. I did like what I think was a camera on the driver's helmet. It was a fun race and I hope to go to more and maybe comtete in the Musemobile, I'd be in a class by myself *Just Kidding Sharyn*

Quote of the Day ~

My dad was very successful running midgets in Texas. Then, his two drivers ran into some bad luck. People started saying that Daddy had lost his touch. That it was the cars and not the drivers. I wanted to race just to prove all those people wrong. ~ A.J. Foyt